New Microsoft CEO is a "good supporter" of Xbox

Satya Nadella, who became Microsoft's third CEO in the company's history yesterday, is a "good supporter" of the Xbox business, according to Microsoft Studios executive Phil Spencer.

"Congrats to Satya Nadella on becoming new Microsoft CEO," Spencer, who heads up all game development for Xbox, said on Twitter. "Good leader, good guy, and will be a great CEO."

"He's been a good supporter of Studios and Xbox," he added.

Despite Spencer's enthusiasm for Nadella, a 22-year Microsoft veteran and cloud technology guru, it remains unclear how his appointment to top executive will (or won't) affect the Xbox business unit going forward.

Previously, Microsoft has been urged to sell off the Xbox business in an effort to streamline the company's efforts and boost overall profitability. It's unclear if Nadella thinks this would be a smart move and no potential buyers have come forward.

Responding to a fan who said he hoped Nadella would not spin off the Xbox unit, Spencer said, "I'm in favor of selling a lot of Xboxes." That's a tantalizingly vague comment, which could be interpreted a number of ways. We've reached out to Microsoft for comment.

For more on what Nadella brings to the table at Microsoft as its CEO, check out further coverage at GameSpot sister site ZDnet.